Leisurecorp and European Tour launch new-look European Tour Physiotherapy Unit

It marks the first time that the brand for the Race to Dubai - the season-long competition which will replace the European Tour Order of Merit - has been unveiled to international audiences.

The state-of-the-art facility will be sponsored by Leisurecorp and is the on-Tour manifestation of the European Tour Centre of Excellence which is currently in development at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

The Unit's new livery - set on a backdrop of the striking green, red and black colours of the United Arab Emirates - will feature the slogan 'The Race to Dubai is Coming!' along with a visual representation of the iconic images from the many cities around the globe where The European Tour will visit on its way to the season-ending Dubai World Championship.

As well as sporting a new appearance, The European Tour Physiotherapy Unit will also feature an enhanced team of personnel, increased tournament working hours and a wide range of improved services and equipment.

Led by Rob Hillman, Director and Senior Sports Physiotherapist, the Unit will now feature four specialised physiotherapists, four osteopaths, a chiropractor and two sports therapists, providing a weekly team of six staff at 35 events over the course of the season at which the Unit itself will attend 26, this week's Open de Andalucia at Aloha Golf Club in Spain being the first.

With the increased staffing levels will come extended opening hours for the Unit at tournaments, featuring 14 hours of operation from 6am to 8pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; eight hours on Tuesdays from 11am to 7pm; 13 hours on Saturdays from 6am to 7pm; and coverage from 6am until the end of play on Sundays.

Included in the expansion plan will be a broader system of record keeping which will enable Hillman and his team to offer greater support to individual players whether in terms of studies into specific injuries or integration with other medical services. Further expansion in 2009 will be the introduction of first-class strength and conditioning facilities on Tour.

Helping them achieve these goals is a range of new equipment inside the Unit which includes state-of-the-art treatment tables from Enraf Nonius, strength and conditioning equipment from Technogym, portable ultrasound imaging systems from GE Healthcare, ionised support bandages and compression recovery suits from Canterbury and a range of Power Bar products from Nestlé Sports Nutrition.

David Spencer, Chief Executive Officer - Golf, Leisurecorp, said: "I think it's perfectly fitting that the public's first encounter with the Race to Dubai is the players' Physiotherapy Unit.

"Our relationship with The European Tour is as much about what it provides for the players as it does for spectators and so we're delighted to be able to include this sponsorship within our partnership. The Race to Dubai starts in November this year and it's great that people will get to sample a taste of the brand over the coming months."

George O'Grady, Chief Executive of The European Tour, said: "The physical and mental demands on the modern professional golfer are such that fitness and the correct preparation are vital components in the game, and those factors will become even more relevant from next season as The Race to Dubai gathers momentum.

"It will be a long and demanding Race to reach the climax of The 2009 European Tour International Schedule - the Dubai World Championship - in November next year. In modern golf, where the margins between success and failure are so tight, it is essential that a player is in peak physical and mental condition for him to perform at the top of his game.

"We are delighted that Leisurecorp have joined forces with the Tour as a strong partner to further develop The European Tour's enhanced Physiotherapy Unit and the first class service provided by our Physiotherapy Team on site at tournaments and, in future, at the Centre of Excellence at Jumeirah Golf Estates, which will shortly begin construction in Dubai."

Thomas Björn, Chairman of The European Tour Tournament Committee, said: "The Physiotherapy Unit is such a big part of the Tour now and to be able to take it forward with our newest and biggest sponsor is going to be great for Leisurecorp and the Tour. It is a very valued department from the players point of view because the demands on that side of the modern game, both recovery and fitness, are huge. The Physiotherapy Unit is very high on every player's agenda so to be able to take it forward in the manner in which we are is fantastic news."

Leisurecorp and The European Tour formalised their partnership in Dubai last November and as well as the sponsorship of the Physiotherapy Unit and The Dubai World Championship - the world's richest golf tournament with a prize fund of $10m - the partnership also includes an additional $10m Bonus Pool, significant support for selected European Tour events, the construction of a new International Headquarters for The European Tour at Jumeirah Golf Estates and the creation of a global property company to help develop new tournament venues around the world.